Guide
How to choose an AMS, with an RFP template you can copy.
Plan on about two to three months to choose an association management system (AMS). Here is the process step by step, with an RFP template, a requirements checklist and a demo script you can copy and edit, and a way to score what comes back.
Updated
The selection process
Seven steps, from forming a team to planning the move. The weeks are a guide for a small or mid-sized association; give yourself longer if your board meets monthly or procurement rules apply. Running several associations? Software for association management companies covers what changes. Considering a custom system instead? See build or buy membership software.
Week 1
Form a small selection team
Three to five people: whoever runs membership day to day, the treasurer or bookkeeper, someone who runs events, and one board member who can approve the decision. Name one person to own the process.
Weeks 1 to 3
Write down what is broken and what you need
Start from real work, not feature lists: how someone joins, how renewals go out, how event payments reach the books. Sort each need into must-have and nice-to-have, and agree a budget range.
Weeks 3 to 4
Make a long list, then a short list
List eight to ten products that serve associations your size, then cut to three to five. Published prices and plan limits let you rule products in or out before anyone books a call.
Weeks 4 to 6
Send the RFP or requirements questionnaire
Send the same document to every vendor on the short list, with a deadline two to three weeks out and one contact for questions. Ask for pricing in the same format from everyone.
Weeks 6 to 8
Run scripted demos
Give each vendor the same scenarios to walk through, ideally with a sample of your own data. Have the whole team watch and score each demo on the same sheet, straight after it ends.
Weeks 8 to 10
Check references and the contract
Talk to two customers of your size for each finalist. Read the contract for the term, renewal price increases, what happens to your data if you leave, and what migration and support include.
Weeks 10 to 12
Decide and plan the move
Pick the winner on your scores, then schedule the switch around your renewal cycle and your current contract end date, so you are not moving in the middle of renewal season or paying for two systems.
Do you need a formal RFP?
A formal RFP makes sense when your bylaws, a funder or procurement rules require competitive bids, when the budget is large, or when many people need to agree on the decision. It gives every vendor the same questions and leaves a record of why you chose.
Many small associations don't need one. A requirements list sent to three to five vendors, followed by scripted demos, gets most of the same answers in less time, and products with published prices let you screen on budget before anyone books a call. The checklist and demo script below work either way.
1. Requirements checklist
Copy this list, delete what doesn't apply, and mark each line must-have, nice-to-have or not needed. Keep the must-have list short: if everything is a must, nothing is.
AMS requirements checklist
Mark each line: M = must-have, N = nice-to-have, X = not needed MEMBERSHIP AND DUES [ ] Membership levels with different prices and benefits [ ] Individual, family and company (organizational) memberships [ ] Online join form with our own questions [ ] Applications that staff approve before the member is charged [ ] Anniversary or fixed-date (calendar year) renewals [ ] Automatic card renewals, with members able to opt out [ ] Renewal reminder emails we can edit [ ] Retries for failed cards and a grace period before lapsing [ ] Prorated dues for members who join mid-year [ ] Chapters, sections or special-interest groups PAYMENTS AND ACCOUNTING [ ] Card payments for dues, events and donations [ ] Recording check and cash payments [ ] Invoices and receipts sent automatically [ ] Refunds handled in the system [ ] Integration with our accounting system: [QuickBooks Online / Xero / other] [ ] Deposits that match what lands in the bank EVENTS [ ] Event pages with member and non-member pricing [ ] Capacity, waitlists and cancellations with refunds [ ] Check-in at the door from a phone [ ] Attendee lists and exports EMAIL AND COMMUNICATION [ ] Newsletters and announcements to members by level or group [ ] Emails sent from our own domain [ ] Open and click tracking on each member's record [ ] Welcome, renewal and win-back email series MEMBER PORTAL AND DIRECTORY [ ] Members renew, update details and cards, and register online [ ] Works well on a phone [ ] Simple sign-in (no password resets for staff to handle) [ ] Members-only directory with privacy controls [ ] Members-only documents and resources EDUCATION [ ] Online courses and quizzes [ ] Continuing education (CE) credit tracking [ ] Certificates members can download DATA, REPORTING AND ADMIN [ ] One record per person, with full history [ ] Reports for staff and the board without exporting to spreadsheets [ ] Enough admin seats for staff, board and volunteers [ ] Permissions for volunteers who should see only part of the data [ ] Full data export at any time, at no charge VENDOR AND SERVICE [ ] Data migration from our current system, and what it costs [ ] Training for staff [ ] Support hours and how to reach a person [ ] Contract length and renewal price terms
2. AMS RFP template
Replace everything in [brackets], attach your requirements checklist, and send the same document to every vendor. Asking for pricing in one format is what makes the answers comparable.
Request for proposal: association management software
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL: ASSOCIATION MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE [Organization name] Issued [date] · Responses due [date] 1. ABOUT US [Organization] is a [professional society / trade association / chamber / club] founded in [year], with [number] active members, [number] staff and a volunteer board of [number]. Members are [individuals / companies / both]. We run about [number] events a year and collect roughly [amount] a year in dues and [amount] in event revenue. 2. WHY WE ARE LOOKING Today we use [current systems, such as a spreadsheet, an email tool, a payment form and QuickBooks]. The main problems are: - [Problem 1, such as renewals sent and matched by hand] - [Problem 2] - [Problem 3] 3. GOALS Within the first year, we want to: - [Goal 1, such as renewals running without manual reminders] - [Goal 2] - [Goal 3] 4. REQUIREMENTS The attached requirements list marks each item as must-have or nice-to-have. For each item, please answer: included as standard, available at extra cost (with the price), on your roadmap (with a date), or not available. 5. DATA MIGRATION We will provide about [number] contact records, [number] years of payment history and [list any other data, such as event history or CE credits]. Please describe what you migrate, who does the work, how long it takes and what it costs. 6. INTEGRATIONS We need to connect with [accounting system, website platform, other tools]. Please describe how each connection works and what it costs. 7. PRICING Please give the full cost for each of the first three years, broken down into: - Subscription or license - Setup, implementation and migration - Training - Add-ons or modules needed to meet our must-haves - Payment processing (rate per card payment, plus any platform fee) - Extra admin seats, contacts or storage - Support plan Please state the contract length, how renewal prices are set and any cancellation terms. 8. IMPLEMENTATION AND SUPPORT Please describe your typical timeline from signing to launch, what you need from our team, the training you provide, and how and when we can reach support. 9. DATA AND SECURITY Please describe who owns our data, how we can export all of it, where it is hosted, and how you protect member and payment data. 10. REFERENCES Please provide two or three customers of a similar size and type that we may contact. 11. HOW TO RESPOND Send your response to [name, email] by [date]. Questions are welcome until [date]; answers will be shared with all vendors. We expect to invite up to [number] vendors to a scripted demo during [dates] and to decide by [date]. 12. HOW WE WILL EVALUATE Responses will be scored on fit to our requirements, ease of use for staff and members, total cost over three years, migration and implementation, and the vendor's support and stability.
3. Scripted demo
Demos all look good when the vendor picks what to show. Send your scenarios ahead of time and ask each vendor to walk through them in order, so you are comparing the same work in every product.
Demo script for vendors
SCRIPTED DEMO: PLEASE SHOW US, IN THIS ORDER 1. A new member joins online at the [level] level, as they would on a phone, and pays by card. 2. That member's renewal: the reminder emails they get, an automatic card renewal, and what happens when the card fails. 3. A company membership with three employees, one invoice and one renewal. 4. A member registers for an event at the member price; a non-member registers at full price; someone cancels and gets a refund. 5. Checking people in at that event from a phone. 6. Sending a newsletter to one membership level and seeing who opened it. 7. A member signing in to the portal to update their card and download a receipt. 8. What reaches our accounting system after a week of payments, and how it matches the bank deposit. 9. The report our board asks for every month: [describe it]. 10. Exporting all of our data.
4. Score the finalists
Agree the weights before the first demo, so the scoring isn't shaped by whichever product the team liked best.
| Criterion | Weight | How to score it |
|---|---|---|
| Fit to must-have requirements | 30% | Each must-have scored 0 to 3 from the RFP answers and the demo |
| Ease of use for staff and members | 20% | Scored by the team straight after each scripted demo |
| Total cost over three years | 20% | Lowest full three-year cost gets full marks; others scaled against it |
| Migration and implementation | 15% | What is moved, who does it, how long it takes and what it costs |
| Support and vendor | 15% | Reference calls, support hours, and how the vendor handled the process |
Compare the full cost over three years
The subscription is only part of what an AMS costs. Ask every vendor for these, in writing, and add them up over three years before comparing.
| Cost | What to ask |
|---|---|
| Subscription | The price at your size today and at your size in three years, and how renewal prices are set |
| Setup and migration | Whether moving your data is included, and what is charged for training or configuration |
| Payment processing | The rate per card payment, plus any platform or service fee, worked out on a year of your real dues and events |
| Add-ons | Which of your must-haves (courses, payments, website, accounting sync) are sold separately |
| Limits | What counts toward the price (contacts, members, admins, emails) and what happens when you go over |
| Contract | Length, auto-renewal, cancellation terms and any cost to export your data when you leave |
More on how AMS products are priced in What is an association management system?
Red flags
- No price until after several calls, or a quote that leaves out setup, migration, payments or add-ons.
- A multi-year contract that renews automatically, with no cap on price increases.
- Data export only on request, or for a fee.
- A demo that skips your scenarios and sticks to a standard tour.
- Things on your must-have list sold as separate products or modules.
- A required payment processor with an extra platform fee on every payment.
How FullRoster answers
If FullRoster is on your list, here are our answers to the questions that come up in most RFPs. Bring your scenarios to a demo and we'll walk through them.
| Pricing | Published. Free for up to 1,000 active members; Standard from $199 a month, by active members |
|---|---|
| What is included | Every feature on every plan, including events, email, courses, CE credits and QuickBooks Online sync |
| Contract | Monthly, or yearly for 20% off. The Free plan has no time limit |
| Migration | Done by our team at no cost, typically a few weeks from your export to launch |
| Payment processing | One all-in rate per card payment: 3.5% + 30¢ on Standard, with an optional cover-the-fee checkbox for payers |
| Admins, email and contacts | Unlimited admins and email on every plan; contacts, prospects and lapsed members are free |
| Needs outside the product | Built into your FullRoster by our team at a fixed price, and maintained |
Common questions
- What is an AMS RFP?
- A request for proposal (RFP) for an association management system is a document an association sends to software vendors describing its organization, its requirements and how it will choose, and asking each vendor for a written proposal with pricing in the same format.
- What should an AMS RFP include?
- A short description of your organization, why you are looking, your goals, a requirements list marked must-have or nice-to-have, your data migration and integration needs, a request for three years of itemized pricing, questions on implementation, support and data security, a request for references, and your deadlines and evaluation criteria.
- Do small associations need a formal RFP?
- Not always. If your board or a funder does not require competitive bids, a two-page requirements list sent to three to five vendors, followed by scripted demos, gets most of the same answers faster. A formal RFP helps when procurement rules require it, the budget is large, or many people need to agree.
- How long does it take to choose an AMS?
- For a small or mid-sized association, about two to three months from forming the team to signing is realistic. Associations with formal procurement, many stakeholders or complex integrations often take longer. Moving the data and launching usually takes several more weeks.
- How many vendors should we send an RFP to?
- Three to five. Fewer gives you little to compare; more creates more reading and demos than a small team can give proper attention to.
- Should we include our budget in the RFP?
- Yes, as a range. It saves time on both sides, since vendors far outside it can say so, and it does not stop you comparing the full three-year cost of each proposal.
- What questions should we ask AMS vendors?
- What the full three-year cost is, including setup, migration, payments and add-ons; what counts toward the price; who moves your data and how long it takes; how renewals and failed cards work; what reaches your accounting system; how you export your data; and what happens when you need something the product does not do.
About FullRoster. FullRoster is association management software that's free for up to 1,000 active members. Members, dues, events, email, courses and payments in one place, and we move your data over for you. See how it works →
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